The shovel has been and continues to be used as a common tool for a large variety of tasks, and the movement of many different materials. Removal of snow from passages, driveways, and pathways as one example of a shovels use. It is an important hand implement for many people in their personal and professional lives.
Shovels in most cases, incorporate a scoop or blade shape. In some cases they incorporate a permanently, or semi-permanently mounted wear strip at the leading edge of the shovel blade. With shovels that incorporate a wear strip, often times the wear strip is made of metal.
It is desirable in the manufacturing and assembly of a shovel that incorporates a wear strip, that the addition of the wear strip be easy to accomplish, efficient, and not require special tools or special processes.
It is also desirable that as the wear strip on a shovel begins to degrade with use, abrasion, and corrosion, that it can be replaced by the user, and therefore extend the useful life of the shovel.
It is also desirable that the wear strip on a shovel could be made of a variety of materials, a material to fit the intended application of the shovel, in some cases a material that prevents damage when used on vulnerable surfaces, and in all cases still replaceable by the user.
To overcome the problems associated with permanently and semi-permanently mounted wear strips, an easy to install and remove wear strip is needed; and the ability for the user to extend the useful life of a shovel that incorporates a wear strip is needed.